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Things I Use Every Day

• Overall Best Blender. Before owning a Vitamix, I had some nice blenders (Cuisinart and Breville), but I didn’t realize what I was missing until I bought this one. It really is the best blender I’ve ever used! Note: I did a side-by-side comparison with another Vitamix model in this YouTube review video, if you want to see how the under-the-counter pitcher compares.

• Small Blender. I bought this Beast blender during Black Friday, and while it’s definitely on the smaller side, I’m so impressed by its blending capabilities. It’s perfect for making creamy salad dressing, vegan cheese sauce, or personal smoothies.

• Working Glass Jars. You’ve likely seen these 14-ounce glass jars all over my website. They are the perfect size for everything! We probably own about a dozen of them (with lids) and use them daily for salad dressing, overnight oats, chia pudding, and general storage.

• Non-Stick Skillet. I’ll be honest, I’m not crazy about using non-stick pans very often, even if they are Teflon-free. The only time I feel the need to use one is for scrambled eggs… but my son likes to eat scrambled eggs almost every single day. So we use this one daily. But be warned, it will chip if you use metal utensils on it. (Silicone or wooden utensils only with this one.)

• My Most-Used pan. I bought this 3.5-quart braiser about 8 years ago, and I had no idea how useful it would be. It’s by far our most used pan! I use it to make tacos, stir-fries, spaghetti sauce, curries, and more. You’ll see it in photos all over my website!

• My Favorite Knives. These ceramic knives became my favorite for two reasons: 1) They are incredibly sharp, making it easy to cut through almost anything perfectly. 2) You never need to sharpen them. You’ll see these used in all of my cooking videos. One caveat— they can chip on very hard items. Don’t use them to remove an avocado pit; I learned that the hard way.

• Vibration Plate. I bought this vibration plate to help my family with nervous system regulation and lymph drainage about 5 years ago. We still stand on it every single day! (My favorite time is right after dinner, but I also take work breaks on it during the day.)

• Portable Sauna. When we first moved to Kansas, we bought a permanent sauna, which required a dedicated outlet in our basement. (The electrician wasn’t cheap!) When our basement flooded years later, my mom let me borrow this portable sauna, and I couldn’t believe how much MORE I sweat in it… even with my head sticking out of it! Even after our basement was repaired, we didn’t want to go back to the other sauna, so we bought one of our own. Use promo code DETOXINISTA for a discount.

Kitchen Essentials

• Dutch Ovens. I recently replaced my cheap Dutch oven from Target, which had chipped and developed permanent stains, with this one from Staub. I find I reach for the 4-quart size more than any other when I’m cooking for my family of four, but I also own a 5.5-quart one that is nice for bigger batches. (Probably up to 6-8 people.)

• Stainless Steel Slow Cooker. The first time I saw the price tag on this, my jaw dropped. It’s not priced like other slow cookers, but it is also a lot more functional than most. You can use it as a daily Dutch oven on the stove or in the oven, so the storage is minimal. You can use my promo code DETOX25 for 25% off, too. If you only need one 6-quart Dutch oven, skip the options above and just buy this one.

• Oven-Style Air Fryer. We use this air fryer to reheat leftovers and bake when we don’t want to turn on the big oven. It preheats faster than an oven and has settings like proof (perfect for cinnamon rolls!), warm, air fry, and bake, so we can use it for all sorts of things.

• Odd-Size Measuring Cups. I received this measuring cup set as a wedding present nearly 16 years ago, and the 3/4 cup measure is one of my most-used items! (And they still look brand new.)

• Espresso Machine. A few years ago I tested several espresso machines in my kitche. You can watch the whole video review here. My favorite was a Jura machine, which also happens to be the most expensive. (It actually does taste better, though.) The machine in my video has been discontinued, so I linked the most similar one. My other favorite is this Breville model, if you don’t mind tamping your own beans each morning. It makes you feel like a real barista when you pull a perfect shot!

• Lemon Juicer. My friend gave me this citrus juicer, and I’m obsessed with how user-friendly it is. It stores the juice (so it won’t shoot out as you squeeze) and has a pour spout for easy measuring, without a mess.

• Waffle Iron. For some reason, All-Clad has discontinued my favorite waffle iron of all time. I’m currently testing this waffle iron, which has removable plates for classic and Belgian-style waffles, so I will report back once I’ve had a chance to use it more and wash it.

• Microplane. I use this almost every single day to mince garlic and ginger. I don’t own a garlic press because it would take up more drawer space.

• Immersion Blender. If you like to blend soup directly in the pot, this handy tool will help you cut down on dishes. I’ve owned it for over 4 years, and it still works perfectly!

• Personal Blender Cup. If you already own a Vitamix 5200 or Explorian base, like I do, this personal-size blender attachment works on either (do not buy this if you have another model!). It’s perfect when you want a narrow base for blending 1 cup of salad dressing or a single-serving smoothie.

• Stainless Steel Pans. If you’re trying to avoid aluminum bakeware, I’ve started gradually adding stainless steel pans to my collection. The downside to stainless steel is that it may change appearance over time, and thin pans will warp badly in the oven. This brand makes incredibly sturdy pans (so they don’t pop in the oven!), and we will see how they hold up over the years. Use my code DETOX25 for 25% off your purchase. I currently own their 9×13 casserole pan and their 9-inch pie plate, in addition to the 6-quart pot that came with my slow cooker. They are all fantastic!

• Cutting Board. If you want a nice cutting board in your kitchen (you’ll see this leaning by my stove when I’m not using it) this is the one to get. Don’t forget to grab some mineral oil to keep it looking nice! It can never go in the dishwasher, so it’s hand-wash only.

Family Favorites

• Board Games. We love playing board games after dinner, and recently discovered a few new favorites. This magnet game had us falling out of our chairs laughing the first time we played it. (Definitely not for young kids who might put something in their mouths!) We also love this Piggy game, but we don’t follow the scoring rules. We played it every single night of our holiday break.

• Fort Building Squares. Think of these as GIANT magna-tiles. I first found these through a Facebook ad, and boy, do they sell out quickly every year. We bought one set about 4-5 years ago, and bought a second set the following year because my kids love them! They never go on sale, FYI, but they do sell out before the holiday rush. My kids are now 12 and 9, and they still love them!

• Reusable Pouches. Most reusable pouches on the market are terrible (they either leak or are hard to clean). When I found this brand, it was a game-changer. We used these until my kids were about 5-6 years old for smoothies, purees, and more. My favorite part was the red insert that prevents any contents from leaking out on car rides!

• Mini Popsicle Mold. If your kids don’t finish a smoothie, this bite-sized popsicle mold is the perfect way to reduce waste. Just pour the leftover smoothie in and freeze it for a fun treat later!

For Your Home

• Rebounder. I’ve owned this mini trampoline for 10 years, and it’s still in great shape. I love how it doesn’t squeak when you bounce on it. It lives in our main bedroom closet, so I can jump on it first thing in the morning, but my kids also come in and use it, too.

• Travel Coffee Mug. I like to drink my morning liquids HOT, and this mug keeps them that way all morning. I use it for coffee and my London Fog latte, which is a regular staple. (Use this tea strainer if you want to use loose-leaf tea instead of tea bags.)

• Reusable Water Bottle. I didn’t get the hype around these water bottles at first. But once you try drinking from the unique straw set-up, it’s love at first sip. My favorite part about these bottles is that the straws have a unique color for each design, so my family never mixes up our straws from the dishwasher.

• Closet Lights. These motion sensor lights are the easiest thing to install in a hall closet using magnets, without the need to call for an electrician. I charge ours about 4 times per year.

• Washable Rugs. We have a pet and kids, so we figured this was a safer bet for our home. We bought this 8×10 rug for our playroom and recently had to wash it in our small auger-type washing machine. It worked out great! We also have this thicker 5×7 rug in Ivory Opal for our guest room and a matching runner for our hallway.

• Glass Storage Containers. I own two types of containers like this, but these have the lids I prefer. (The other one I own is Rubbermaid Brilliance, but the lids are TOO airtight for my everyday meal-prep needs. I broke a lid trying to pry it off once!) This set is really easy to work with, and the size is the one we use the most for packed lunches and leftovers.

• Air Filters. I must have seen a thousand Air Doctor ads before I decided to invest in these. We have the 2000 size in our bigger bedroom and living room, and the 1000 size in my kids’ bedrooms.

• Dehumidifier. This is admittedly not a “fun” purchase, but if you own a home with a basement, you’ll likely want to have one of these to help prevent mold growth. We first bought one when our basement flooded years ago, but now we have it running almost year-round. (We use a hose to let it drain automatically into a floor drain.)

Things to Wear

• Arch Support Shoes. The last time we went to Disney World, I bought a cute new pair of cloud tennis shoes and immediately regretted it. My feet were in so much pain because I developed plantar fasciitis. (Which took about a month to recover from.) That’s when I learned that I need arch support… and discovered these Brooks shoes. My feet have never hurt again!

• House Slippers. Continuing from the story above, I’ve discovered that I feel better when I wear arch-support slippers on my heavy-cooking days, when I’m standing for several hours a day. (Better than being barefoot!)

• My Favorite Sweater. I will never be a fashion influencer, but you will probably see me wear this cashmere sweater often in my cooking videos. I have it in both red and green, and it’s so flattering!

• Sleep Eye Masks. My husband gets all the credit for discovering these. We both enjoy the blackout benefits of an eye mask, but I don’t want anything actually pressing down on my eyes. These have a cupped shape, so they don’t touch your eyelids as you sleep.